Capoeira Senzala Slovenija, Contramestre Luis Claudio

Contramestre Luis Claudio

Photo: Botafogo

Luis Claudio Pinto de Faria was born in a brazilian city of Ubá, in the state of Minas Gerais. He bagan practicing capoeira when he was six years old and with his friends started his own group called Guerreiros de Zumbi in the year of 1991. He joined the group Capoeira Senzala in 1992 after moving to Rio de Janeiro. Today, group Capoeira Senzala, is known as one of the three biggest groups in the world. He reached the level of Contramestre in group Capoeira Senzala (yellow-red cord).

While in Ubá, he started to teach capoeira professionally in various sporting and medical centres, elementary schools, kindergartens and universities. He founded the cultural and sports oriented association “Associaçao Cultural e Esportiva ARTE NOSSA CAPOEIRA”, where he used capoeira and brazilian culture in projects of connecting people of different social classes. He realized a social-cultural project called “Criança capoeira – Pé quente, cabeça Fria” (Capoeira children, hot heels and cold head), especially for children of Bairro São Domingos.

Photo: Tomasz Abramovicz

For his work he was invited to various capoeira events in Brazil and South America and in the year of 2001 he was being invited to festivals, seminars, workshops and classes in Europe. That’s how his cycle of travels across France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, etc., began.

He was a guest in various TV and radio shows like ‘Le Iene’ (Italia1, Italian television) , ‘Trebisonda’ (Rai Tre, Italian television), ‘La fattoria’ (Canale 5, Italian television), in a french documentary about brazilian culture and capoeira (Paris, 20Lyon) and in a swiss documentary ‘A Capoeira do Brasil’.

Today, beside his work in Ubá, Luis Claudio coordinates and supervises the work of his graduated students that are starting new Capoeira Senzala schools in other cities of Minas Gerais, as well as in Europe. His work is recognized in more than 20 countries in South America, Europe and United states. Even though, he is still dedicated to development of Brazil and it’s culture through capoeira and with love of what he’s doing.

Photo: Tomasz Abramovicz